A Batemans Bay man who stole more than $1600 from another punter and later told police he thought the winnings were a “gift” has been sentenced in court. Stephen John Mundy, 52, pleaded guilty to one count of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception when he appeared in Batemans Bay Local Court on Monday January 7. Police said Mundy falsely claimed ownership of another man’s betting credit slip, worth $1639, in Batemans Bay in November 2018. Court documents showed Mundy had used an electronic betting machine that had a previous punter’s winnings scanned into it, and, after placing a bet himself, took possession of the credit slip. Mundy then left the premises and attended another licensed venue in Batemans Bay where he cashed in the funds. The victim, upon realising his winnings had been stolen, alerted staff, who contacted police and were able to identify Mundy via CCTV footage. Shortly after, police attended Mundy’s home, where they located the cash in the lounge room and stashed in a bedroom chest of drawers. During an interview with police, Mundy claimed that he did not consider his actions as stealing, but instead believed the betting machine had given him a “gift”. He later admitted to receiving the credit voucher in error and choosing to keep the money a secret. Defence solicitor Travis McGeachy said Mundy was intoxicated at the time he made “this very bad decision”. Magistrate Doug Dick said the matter was a “concern’ given Mundy’s criminal history. “What concerns me is this is not really out of character,” Mr Dick said. “You started your criminal career with a dishonesty matter.” Mundy was fined $1000 and placed on a Community Corrections Order for 12 months.